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Job outlook for preceptors in the United States
Preceptor job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected preceptor job growth rate is 6% from 2018-2028.
About 195,400 new jobs for preceptors are projected over the next decade.
Preceptor salaries have increased 10% for preceptors in the last 5 years.
There are over 4,751 preceptors currently employed in the United States.
There are 318,595 active preceptor job openings in the US.
The average preceptor salary is $96,558.
Are preceptor jobs in demand?
Preceptor job and salary trends over time
Preceptor jobs over time
Preceptor job growth rate over time
Year  | # Of Jobs | % Of Population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 4,751 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 4,656 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 4,649 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 4,602 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 4,532 | 0.00% |
Average preceptor salary over time
Preceptor salary by year
| Year | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $96,558 | $46.42 | +2.8% |
| 2024 | $93,956 | $45.17 | +2.2% |
| 2023 | $91,943 | $44.20 | +2.5% |
| 2022 | $89,726 | $43.14 | +2.3% |
| 2021 | $87,739 | $42.18 | +1.4% |
Preceptor jobs by state
Most common states for preceptors
| Rank | State | Population | # of Jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 528 | 61% |
| 2 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 399 | 53% |
| 3 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 3,456 | 50% |
| 4 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 643 | 48% |
| 5 | Maine | 1,335,907 | 625 | 47% |
| 6 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 326 | 47% |
| 7 | New Mexico | 2,088,070 | 937 | 45% |
| 8 | Delaware | 961,939 | 432 | 45% |
| 9 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 464 | 44% |
| 10 | Vermont | 623,657 | 267 | 43% |
| 11 | Indiana | 6,666,818 | 2,739 | 41% |
| 12 | Alaska | 739,795 | 289 | 39% |
| 13 | Florida | 20,984,400 | 7,669 | 37% |
| 14 | Pennsylvania | 12,805,537 | 4,513 | 35% |
| 15 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 1,966 | 35% |
| 16 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 1,081 | 34% |
| 17 | Tennessee | 6,715,984 | 2,235 | 33% |
| 18 | Kansas | 2,913,123 | 966 | 33% |
| 19 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 2,370 | 32% |
| 20 | West Virginia | 1,815,857 | 575 | 32% |
Most common cities for preceptors
| Rank | City | # of Jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Newark | 2 | 6% | $112,747 |
| 2 | Cambridge | 5 | 5% | $90,269 |
| 3 | Bradenton | 1 | 2% | $80,803 |
| 4 | Anchorage | 1 | 0% | $132,292 |
Preceptor job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of preceptor experts
Prairie View A & M University
New York University
Penn State Erie, The Behrend College
American Association of Nurse Anesthetists
The University of Texas at El Paso
Sac City
Lincoln University
Morton College
Morton College
What general advice would you give to a Preceptor?
Allyssa Harris RN, PhD, WHNP-BC: Daily, nurses with the health care team to manage and coordinate patient care which include physical assessments-assessing, observing, and evaluating the patient's response to care, administering medication and treatments, assisting with procedures, and providing health education to patients and their families. Additionally, nurses often supervise other unlicensed health care team members including licensed vocational nurses, patient care technicians (PCTs) and nursing students.
What will help Preceptors increase their earning potential?
Allyssa Harris RN, PhD, WHNP-BC: I can't speak for everyone but what I like about being a nurse is the ability to connect one on one with the patient and their family. Patients allow us the privilege of providing care and comfort during one of the most vulnerable times in their lives. It is the connection that we share that is the most rewarding. I believe that is this care and education that provides patients with the opportunity to make knowledgeable decisions about their health and well-being. What is most challenging about nursing is the increasing complexity of the patient care provide. Often patients enter the health care system later, having delayed care variety or reasons including lack of access, socio-economic challenges, unawareness, etc. This often increases the complexity of the care needed and nurses are required to have a broad knowledge of many things. I wouldn't say that they dislike the nursing profession, but the work is challenging.
What will help Preceptors increase their earning potential?
Natalie Heywood DNP, RN, CNE: I think one of the most important and prevalent skills that will be prevalent in the next 3-5 years in nursing is the ability to communicate with patients in a therapeutic manner that supports trust and mutual respect. Additionally, a skill that will be vital to current and future nurses is the ability to provide individualized care. Our patient populations are increasingly complex and unique, and it will be important for health providers to care for all individuals based on their needs and where they are at the moment. Lastly, as we see the increase of technology and AI use in healthcare, we need to be technology proficient and confident, as well as flexible in the use of these tools to improve patient care.
What skills stand out on Preceptor resumes?
Beth Latimer: Stand-out skills on RN resumes include exposure and competence in public health framed nursing competencies. These include excellence in contextual, patient-centered, clinical care with health promotion, risk reduction expertise. Interprofessional educational experiences are sought after and highly regarded as working with high-performing interprofessional teams needed to plan, deliver, and improve outcomes with patient center care at the forefront is not only beneficial to patients and families but will improve patient outcomes in the long run. Expertise in navigating the health records system and documenting appropriately certainly helps the RN spend more time at the bedside rather than spending lots of time figuring out the electronic health record. At NYU Meyers, we implemented and are utilizing Epic as the electronic health record. Epic is widely utilized in the majority of health systems, and this certainly gives our patients an upper hand since they are continuously utilizing this in simulation. The students are then able to navigate this exact system in the clinical setting and are able to spend less time looking for the right page to document in since they are already familiar with this system.
What soft skills should all Preceptors possess?
Kim Raines: Graduates have been confronted with harsh realities. They have had considerable remote learning which may have made them wiser to the value of being in person compared to a recording or reading and learning independently. Of course, there is a place for both. Some graduates have been even more personally affected by the pandemic. They may have suffered through the grim and enduring loss of hospitalized loved ones, many of whom were completely isolated. Graduates need to understand fully; the power of human touch, and the how and why superb communication - however limited it may be - is a lifeline for patients and families. Teamwork, flexibility and interpersonal skills take on a new meaning in the pandemic healthcare world. New graduates will need to focus on deliberate practices for staying well themselves (physically and emotionally) but also be extraordinarily conscious of ways to support their co-workers in real time and perhaps off the job as well.
What skills stand out on Preceptor resumes?
Angela Mund: To become a CRNA, the applicant must first be a registered nurse and graduate of a baccalaureate nursing program. A minimum of one year of clinical experience in an intensive care unit (ICU) is required. The application process is rigorous, and many nurse anesthesia programs are seeing higher than typical applicant numbers, perhaps due to the impact of COVID-19 on the ICU nurse workforce.
The most competitive applicants will have an overall GPA >3.5. Basic science courses are heavily weighted with respect to both course grade and type of course. A competitive resumé should include evidence of clinical expertise, leadership, volunteerism, and scholarly work. In addition, all registered nurse applicants should have shadowed a CRNA to learn about the profession prior to application. The interview process may include assessments of critical thinking, decision-making, and emotional intelligence.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Preceptors to find work opportunities?
Leslie Robbins Ph.D.: A growing baby boomer population, improved access to health care, and a rapidly retiring nursing workforce have led to nursing shortages across the nation. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects the need for more than 1 million nurses by 2022. This substantial demand for nurses has created more significant employment opportunities for recent graduates, especially in the Western and Southern United States.
How do you envision technology impacting Preceptors in the next 5 years?
Jeffery Christian: Obviously, technology is only going to continue to grow and develop and, hopefully, enhance the care we provide to patients. At the bedside, electronic medical records are constantly being updated and revised to help the nurses provide more accurate and safe patient care. I think that is the key, what technology can do to ensure safe patient care. I think the industry is still working out the kinks on the balance of documenting the care provided (to gather data and evaluate best practice) and hands-on therapeutic care. I know the balance will get worked out because that is what nurses do. They problem solve and find the best way to help each patient achieve wellness.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Preceptors?
Vilma Davis: The coronavirus pandemic has caused many industries, including the healthcare industry, to re-evaluate their focus and how they have been and will do things moving forward. This will no doubt have some enduring impact on nursing graduates. However, let me quickly add that the coronavirus pandemic has highlighted the need for nurses throughout the United States. The opportunities that will be available to graduates will certainly look different from what they did before the coronavirus pandemic. Graduates will need to recreate in their minds what the ideal job placement may look like and recognize that the length of time for orientation to their position may be decreased.
It appears that many healthcare systems have been forced to re-evaluate their budget, and this has created less request for nurses to work overtime, for hiring per-diem nurses, and salary increases may be negligible. The coronavirus pandemic has created an increase in telehealth and remote work-from-home positions. In addition, there is more focus on community health or public health nursing on the whole versus a more individualized patient approach. A fact that may be overlooked is that there are a number of nurses who have chosen to retire due to concerns of getting infected by the coronavirus, which in itself has created shortages in the industry. Some of these vacant positions will be filled, but unfortunately, others will be terminated.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Preceptors to find work opportunities?
Vilma Davis: As previously mentioned, there is a need for nurses throughout the United States. Most nursing programs will intermittently have nurse recruiters come on campus, giving students an opportunity to ask questions and get information about the job market. This is one way that graduates can get plugged into where the needs of nurses are. Graduates can also visit the websites of various hospitals and see what openings are available for which they can apply. Doing a simple google search for "nursing jobs" will yield a plethora of available jobs that they can review and make the decision which they would like to pursue.
Alicia Cardona
Nursing instructorMorton College
Nursing
What general advice would you give to a Preceptor?
Alicia Cardona: For nurses beginning their careers, take every opportunity to learn everything you can. There is so much to do in nursing; you never know what you will find that you are good at or that you will enjoy. There are good days and bad days in nursing. Enjoy the good, and realize the bad is only temporary. Be flexible and take care of yourself. Nursing is demanding, so take care of yourself, so you do not burnout.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Preceptors?
Kathrine Skurski: In the aftermath of this global pandemic, we will find that healthcare consumers are more likely to question the necessity of medical interventions or medications. Patients will want a clear and concise explanation of the risks and benefits before providing consent. This is where teaching comes into play. Patient education is vital in this coronavirus pandemic as the general public is taking medical care into their own hands. Wearing gloves and masks was once an infection prevention protocol found only in a healthcare facility but is now conventional practice. Nurses will be the educators of health maintenance, screenings, and disease prevention for communities and individuals alike.
Another healthcare concern that new graduates will face in the coming months/years is the shortages in the workforce. Bedside nurses are being overwhelmed with gravely ill patients, complicated charting systems, and new equipment that hasn't been adequately instituted and staff-trained. New grad nurses may find themselves in traumas or critical situations, outside of their scope of knowledge, during these times. This puts the patient's life in danger. If the new grad nurse should ever find themselves in such a situation, they must have the conviction to speak up. As a Nurse, I must teach future generations the skill, knowledge, and self-confidence needed to succeed in the field.